I'm the queen of procrastination (really). Any advice that you could give me (on getting my sh*t together and getting things done)

Make lists…reward yourself every time you finish a list.

Are you getting cheap highs from distractions? They can give you the feeling that you’re doing something without the cost of doing something more meaningful. Maintaining awareness of this and valuing the cheap highs appropriately can help.

Are you taking on commitments that you shouldn’t take because they aren’t aligned with your goals, etc., or because you are unclear about your goals? Try simplifying your commitments.

What’s the least amount you can do with hardly any pain in the direction of getting done what you need to get done? Do that least amount now. Repeat.

Take a stab at enjoying the process. Make friends with your “self” and give your “self” the mental and emotional space to just experiment with the project. Assess with curiosity what you have in front of you. Try fitting a few pieces together and see what you get. Just play around some and let the momentum build on it’s own.

@XD, I want to carry you around in my pocket, if you know what I mean? That was awesome and helpful.

Someone drag me outta Fluther!

This is what I wrote to my girlfriend (who was not looking forward to cleaning her stables) last week:

“Take a plastic bag first, or two, and start with throwing empty tabac, papers, water bottles and stuff.
That will already show a bit cleaner (also tasaki ash tray)!!
Take a cigarette and take five minutes.
Then you separate pieces of clothes…, blousakia shirts, pantalonia trousers, foustas dresses, pezetas towels, etc. and make separate mountainakia small piles :d
Smoke again, or make voutia a walk…. After that, maybe, you can put one small mountain of clothes in the laundry…, the one that you need first.
Then your day of stable cleaning is done! Avrio tomorrow continue…”

It worked for her.
I hope this is a little useful?!

Try setting a timer and say youi will work only 15 minutes on a project.

Tackle one thing at a time and be happy with the small victories. Don’t think you can or even should tackle all your shit in one or two days. Do as much as you can when you can, and take time off to recharge.

If you need some organizing, I’ll be there in about a week. My hourly rate is really cheap and I am really good.

I’ve put off answering this question long enough…

Try setting limited goals. For example, if you have to fill out some papers, try filling out one page/hour, giving yourself breaks in between. As @tinyfaery mentioned, be happy with small victories.

@tinyfaery I’ll pay you in candy.

I like too do lists. It keeps me focused. You can also prioritize the tasks if it helps.

I procrastinate too, mostly with laundry. Just get off your ass and do it. Self reward system never works with me. Like if I say “Ok, I can nap after I do the laundry…” I just take a nap anyway and still don’t do the laundry. So if you’re anything like me, fuck that system.

Seriously, get the fuck up and get shit done.

I’ll challenge you to a procrastinators’ duel.
I save coupons but they are always out of date before I use them.

Ok… just remember, you asked for it…

In the upper corner of most web browsers is an icon in the form of a little “x”. Click on that and it will shut down your browser window (and the fluther session therein).

Now… On most systems there is a similar icon that you press to shut off the system.

Ok, now that that’s done, get up and do one of those jobs you have been putting off.

:)

Break the job down into manageable bits and do it in stages.

Just do it! Tell yourself “cut the crap” and then just do it. You will likely find that it is far easier to work hard and finish a project on time than it is to continue to be a day late and a dollar short.

Got something done and I feel good. Now, a beer.

Get better at producing things well at the last minute. Then you don’t have to change your procrastinating ways. Yes. This is actually how I do things.

Watch a few episodes of Hoarders and/or Heavy. It works for us to get out of bed and do laundry, dust and even go out in 100+ degree weather to grocery shop.

Atta girl @Jude!

Some tips:

1. Find four or friends who also need help doing something around the house. Designate one Saturday to each friend (a month or in a month) and go over to each other’s houses to clean/clear and declutter. It is a lot easier that way. You have friends who say, “What? What do you need this for?” or “Jude, have you ever really worn this?” and it works.

2. Make lists (as someone suggested.) I go through each room with a clipboard and write down everything that needs to be done. I then go to the computer type up the lists with “check boxes” room by room. Then, I make it a game. I get a timer and I give myself
five minutes or ten minutes for each task in each room and I check them off.

3. Get a camera and take photos of the mess. That will always motivate you and you will also be able to “see clearly” what you cannot see with your eyes at times and get motivated.

4. To just get started do not sort repeat do not sort. In other words, if you have a pile of bills that have been sitting on your desk, do not sort or you will get too discouraged and get tied up in looking through each envelope and losing steam. Put all the bills into a box or bag and mark it to sort through on a different day. Just start to put things up. One thing someone told me once was, “Everything has a place in the house, if it does not, then it should be tossed.” So, put every thing where it belongs, one item at a time. If you have a two story house (as I do) I just put all the items at the bottom of the stairs in a laundry basket or a box or basket. After I am done with one floor, I carry the basket upstairs, clean upstairs and then and only then I put the items away that belong upstairs.

5. When you are done with the house, put small signs around to remind you, “Put it away…and save a day.”

6. Use a reward system. Pick something you like to do, something you want and decide, “When I finish x task, I am going to reward myself with x .”

Hope some of these are of use.

I’m the King of Procrastination, and here is a way I have finally gotten a handle on it. Google The Emergent Task Planner by David Seah. Take a look at his pads. I ordered them and began to use them…not perfectly. They apply to any tasks of any nature. Just helps you get your shit together and go from there. Let me know if you try them. Thanks

See davidseah.com/pceo/etp

Sure, I’ll tell you about it later….

Damn, I have the same problem.